The most common ways to see Antarctica are commercial cruises with shore visits, land expeditions, or sightseeing by air. In 2011, Sandy and Steve, two retirees living in Minnesota, hoped to try the 11-hour Antarctica-flyover excursion from Punta Arenas, Chile to see the frozen scenery for themselves.

There was only one problem — that flight is known as one of the most cancelled excursions in the world due to bad weather, and Sandy and Steve's trip was no exception. They wrote off ever visiting the continent again.

But when Sandy received an email from Abercrombie & Kent, a cruise and adventure company, touting the itineraries on its cruise ship Le Boréal, she decided to give it another shot. "I searched for 'Antarctica Le Boréal' on Flickr and was blown away by a set of photos from a January 2012 cruise," she told Business Insider in an email. "Almost immediately we booked our trip!"

The couple — whose previous travels have included destinations such as China, central Asia, Tanzania, Bora Bora, the Falkland Islands, and much of Europe — was impressed by the unique wildlife, pastel wilderness, and sense of exploration Antarctica offered its visitors.

They were also struck by the level of environmental awareness on the cruise, which travels through some of the world's most at-risk wilderness. Sandy explained: "Only 100 people could be off our ship at a time. Each time before boarding a zodiac, we walked through a disinfecting liquid to clean our boots. We were told that if a plastic bag were to fly away in the wind, we’d be chasing it down to retrieve it. Major efforts are important for keeping Antarctica pristine."

In total, the Minnesota couple spent five full days in Antarctica, getting close to penguins, hiking Cuverville Island, whale-watching, and touring the world's least-populated continent and last frontier. Abercrombie & Kent's Antarctica trips start at $9,895 per person.

The Drake Passage measures 600 miles and separates Cape Horn from Antarctica's Shetland Islands. It takes two days to navigate in a cruise ship.

Another iceberg looms like a mountain in the Drake Passage.

An up-close shot of one iceberg sinking beneath the water.

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Steve (in a black jacket at the base of the flag) takes pictures.

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During the cruise, passengers disembark onto small rubber "Zodiac" boats to get up close and personal with the wilderness. Here, a group passes through Fridtjog Sound at the northeastern end of the Antarctic peninsula.

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A scout explores what conditions are like before the boats make their way to the shore.

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On the Zodiac expeditions, tourists bundled up in long underwear, jeans/corduroys, sweaters, waterproof pants, parkas, and a life jacket, not to mention cold weather accessories like hats and gloves.

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Before boarding a tour, they are required to walk through a disinfecting liquid to clean their boots.

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When the boats land, passengers have to wade through roughly 1.5 feet of water to make it to the shore.

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But the unique landscapes make it all worthwhile.

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Here, Steve climbs Cuverville Island, one of the couple's favorite experiences from the trip. The rocky island is a breeding ground for Gentoo penguins.

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Hot chocolate is served after the tours to warm everyone up on board.

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The first sighting of Antarctic wildlife was of Chinstrap penguins on an iceberg near the South Shetland Islands — one of the most northern regions of Antarctica.

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There were even more penguins swimming in the ocean near Brown's Bluff, a volcano on the northern tip of the continent.

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A close-up of an Adélie Penguin, one of several types the Zodiac tours were able to see.

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And another. Of the 17 species of penguins, only six can be found in Antarctica.